| e’s one question nearly everyone asks this is | | | | or more. Our studio charges $100, $150 and $200 for |
| it. How much do senior portraits cost? The trite, | | | | respectively, a one hour, an hour and a half and a |
| sarcastic answer would be, If you really like | | | | two hour session. But hardly anyone pays full price |
| pictures and you’re going to miss your son or | | | | for the session. |
| daughter like crazy when they go off to college, | | | | Studios often run session sales early in the year to |
| senior portrait are cheap. If you never take pictures | | | | start the business flowing. At d. holmes meir studios |
| yourself and you for-see your child living in your | | | | we have our big 12 hour sale in May and if you book |
| basement until they’re 35; senior portraits are | | | | your session for sometime in June you’ll save |
| outrageous. Truly, a great deal does depend on | | | | 75% on the session fee. In July you save 50% and |
| your point of view. | | | | August nets you a 25% savings. You’ll |
| Most studios will charge a session fee. Some | | | | probably find similar sales at most other studios in the |
| have just one flat fee and others, like our studio, | | | | area. |
| have three different sessions that differ basically by | | | | With respect to the portraits themselves it will vary |
| length of time. The session fee covers — kind | | | | a great deal on the number of friends and relatives |
| of — the photographer’s time to take | | | | you’ll want to gift with your images. At some |
| the pictures and process the images for you to view. | | | | studios you’ll spend less than $300 while at |
| Quite honestly our session fees don’t come | | | | others you’ll invest $1000 or more. It’s |
| close to covering the time it takes to photograph a | | | | important to remember that like anything, all portraits |
| senior, process the images, do some initial retouching | | | | and all photographers are not created equal. If |
| and prepare the first view images for the client to | | | | you’re not a fan of surprises you will want to |
| see. | | | | do research and ask lots of questions as to what is |
| Many studios view the session fee more as a | | | | and isn’t included in a studios portrait pricing. |
| guarantee you’ll show up. Don’t get | | | | Chances are most studios will offer both package as |
| me wrong, I know YOU wouldn’t blow | | | | well as a-la-carte pricing options. Packages are almost |
| someone off but think about it; if there’s no | | | | always cheaper — often so much so you may |
| up-front session fee to guarantee your spot in the | | | | be better off — from a money standpoint - |
| studios calendar, if you had nothing invested and the | | | | to buy more pictures in a package than you really |
| day of your session came and it was beautiful and | | | | need. No one likes waste but better to waste a little |
| sunny and all your friends were going to Valley Fair | | | | paper than a lot of money. |
| — where would you want to be? Riding the | | | | The most important question you need to ask are |
| Wild Thing or stuck in a dark studio listening to a 52 | | | | whether or not the final images will be retouched and |
| year old guy with a beer gut tell bad jokes? If | | | | to see examples of retouched images. Many people |
| there’s money on the line Mom and Dad are | | | | in this day and age just assume all photographers |
| going to be sure you show up - with bells on. | | | | retouch their portraits — nothing could be |
| Studios session fees in southern Minnesota range | | | | further from the truth. |
| from a low of probably fifty bucks to a high of $300 | | | | |